Moscow-2012 bidding committee executive director Alexander Polinsky announced the set task on May 21, during the annual Glory national sports award ceremony. Since the start of the vote count displayed on a special Olympic Count monitor set on the Manezhnaya Square in November 2004, more than 1.2 million people cast their votes in support of the bid.
"We still have a bit less than six weeks to reach our goal and receive 2,012,000 votes," Alexander Polinsky stressed. "On July 6, the International Olympic Committee will choose the host of the 2012 Olympics during a meeting in Singapore (beside Moscow, four other cities bid for the Olympics - London, Paris, New York and Madrid). I am sure that the IOC recognizes the fact that the high level of enthusiasm and hopes exhibited by Moscow's residents and Russian citizens in general corresponds to the level of our readiness and ability to make the 2012 Olympics an event of historical importance. In June, we plan to conduct a series of events in order to attract more votes in support of our Olympic bid."
The Glory annual national sports award distinguishes the achievements of athletes and sports activists in the sphere of the Olympics and other major sports events.
Olympic Champion in pole vault category Yelena Isinbayeva was recognized as the best Russian Female Athlete of the Year.
800-meter race Olympic Champion Yuri Borzakovsky was recognized the best Russian Athlete of the Year. Olympic champion Alexei Nemov, who did not receive any medals at the Athens Olympics in 2004, won in the Fair Play category. After receiving the award, Nemov stated "this award belongs to all sports fans," who supported him fiercely during the Olympics criticizing the obviously biased attitude toward him on the part of the judges.
In the lobby of the theater hosting the ceremony, special Moscow-2012 displays were set. They promoted the unique Olympic Village and other sports facilities in Moscow, which are planned to be used during the 2012 Olympics.
Anyone can vote for the Moscow-2012 bid using a special electronic counter set at the Manezhnaya Square in Moscow or on the official website of the Moscow-2012 Bid - www.m2012.ru.
